Consolidation in clays due to incremental loading

When it comes to infrastructure development on soft clay deposits, long term consolidation settlements pose a threat and remain a concern to the geotechnical engineer. Generally, the consolidation settlement at a specific time is computed using Terzaghi's one dimensional consolidation theory, where the surface loads are assumed to be applied instantaneously. However, the subsoil is actually loaded in stages during the construction process, usually over several weeks. Therefore, the assumption that the load is applied instantaneously at a specific time may not give realistic estimates of settlements. The objective of this paper is to develop simple user-friendly design charts for incremental loading that can be used by practicing engineers.